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Former Scottsdale Police officer says his firing was in retaliation and wants his job back
Two years after he was fired, a Scottsdale Police Commander is still fighting to get his job back, saying he lost his job because of retaliation for an incident he reported about the assistant police chief.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Two years after he was fired, a Scottsdale Police Commander is still fighting to get his job back, saying he lost his job because of retaliation for an incident he reported.
Scottsdale Police Commander Aaron Minor’s case went to the state’s police officer certification board and some board members agree that something isn't right with his firing.
At the state hearing, Phoenix Police Chief and member of Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST), Jeri Williams, came to Minor's defense.
"This reeks of retaliation in my personal opinion," Williams said.
Alleged incident that led to Minor's firing
In May 2019, court documents say Scottsdale Police Assistant Chief Richard Slavin made homophobic remarks in a meeting that Minor reported to supervisors.
Minor's attorney, Steve Serbalik, says the department claimed Minor lied in the investigation of Slavin's comments.
Minor says he did not lie.
"Instead of the person who made the inappropriate comments be held accountable, it was turned into, we’re going to go after the guy that brought the complaint forward," Serbalik said.
After an appeal to the city manager, Minor still couldn’t get his job back. Serbalik believes it was retaliation for reporting against Slavin.
Retired Scottsdale Police cybercrimes detective Brandon Sullivan claims that retaliation is the department's culture.
"Everyone knew it there. It was widely talked about. This wasn’t a secret," Sullivan said.
AZPOST voted unanimously for Minor to maintain his police officer certification, with Williams saying, "I’m deeply troubled by this one and I just wanted that on for the record."
Kevin Robinson is an AZPOST member as well and said, "The person I think we should be talking about is the person who made the comments and that doesn’t appear to be the case. That personally ... there’s something wrong here."
The Scottsdale Police Department isn't commenting on the allegation of retaliation against Minor. Instead, the city provided a statement saying it won't comment on pending litigation.
Minor's attorney says they’re appealing the firing to Maricopa County Superior Court.